A Change of Heart
by EnamoredCaptivated
Summary: Possibly the hardest job of Black Widow's career: babysitter? Well not exactly, but she has been ordered, along with the rest of the Avengers, to keep an eye on Loki while he spends the remainder of his prison sentence on Earth.
1. Chapter 1

Ever since the attack on New York by Loki and the Chitauri, Natasha has felt only half-fulfilled by her work as a spy. Even though it was just as Clint had said, she was a spy, not a soldier; she couldn't help feeling like she missed being a part of a team. She missed the thrill of battling the Chitauri and tricking Loki into revealing his plans. She felt like she made a big difference- she did basically help save the world after all. Now all of these missions as a spy seemed…insignificant in comparison. She wanted to feel that passion again. These days it seemed there wasn't much she was passionate about; except her newly formed friendships with each Avenger.

Naturally before that battle her friends were few and far between. She had to keep a fairly low profile, and connections could be dangerous. She found it hard to trust people. However she felt she could put much of her faith in Clint, Thor, Bruce, Tony, and Steve. She even felt a bit closer to Director Fury after that whole ordeal.

In between missions, Natasha stayed at S.H.E.I.L.D. base. It was comforting to have all of the people she cared for around her; even if they didn't know it (she was very good at conveying a stoic attitude). Some would say she seems indifferent to everyone, but deep down the Avengers were close to her heart, and she could act most like herself when she was around them. Most of the Avengers could be found hanging around the base, all with their own living quarters in case they ever wanted to stay for extended periods of time.

Natasha had just returned from a mission gaining intel in Berlin when she strode into her quarters, absolutely starved. She was startled to see Clint sitting patiently at her desk, a bag of take-out Chinese in his hand. "Hey, stranger." was all he had to say to lighten her mood. She was way too preoccupied with her work; she knew she needed to give it a rest. "Clint, you and that food are a sight for sore eyes." She told him sleepily. "Long trip?" He asked. She flopped down on the bed. He could tell instantly what she was thinking, "I know how you feel, it's still not the same. You and I are one in the same Nat, we miss the thrill of the fight!" She chuckled, "It's not even just that, I miss doing something that really matters, that people see and think 'Wow, they made a huge difference in the world.'" She thought that kind of work helped her better atone for her past sins. He smiled, "Well Nat I hate to break it to you, but not everything we do makes a difference that is so momentous it can be seen right away and by anyone other than the people at S.H.I.E.L.D. for that matter. And I know you're a girl and all and you just love all the attention and swooning…" At that she faked a gasp and chucked a pillow at his head. Her teammates, especially Clint, were the only ones who actually got to see her not so serious side. He was right though, she was a girl, and she still sometimes found herself having silly girly desires. "Well anyways, I just hope Fury can find something a little more exciting for me next time." And just as the words had finished tumbling out of her mouth, her phone rang. Strangely enough, Clint's phone also went off. They checked their phones simultaneously, and exchanged a look. It was an urgent message from Director Fury for the team to meet in the conference hall right away. Her stomach growled angrily, Clint laughed, "I guess this will have to wait, unless you want to try and sneak it in and eat it under the table while Fury rants." She laughed, "I wonder what he needs to talk to all of us about? Usually he only sends for one of us." He considered this and smirked, "Maybe your wish for real action is coming true? Way to jinx it!" She punched him in the arm as they walked out the door together, "Don't lie," she said, "You want something crazy to happen just as much as I do. The monotony is _killing _you."

When Natasha and Clint entered the conference hall, Fury looked a bit tense. Everyone was obviously anxious to know what the hell was going on. All of the Avengers were present, excluding Thor. He could not be called on a whim like this given that his permanent residence was Asgard, a little further than her simple walk down the hall. And apparently, this matter couldn't wait. Fury jumped right in. "Alright you guys, listen up. We have something big happening here at S.H.I.E.L.D. base and I want to make sure you are all aware, because you will all have correlative assignments." He sighed. Now she was intrigued. What mission could possibly require them all? Another battle perhaps? He seemed reluctant to go on, Steve spoke up. "What's going on Director, is it that bad?" He was obviously concerned. Fury gave a crooked smile before replying, "Oh I am certain you won't like this one. But it has already been decided. And no, the Earth is not in danger, as of yet..." He paused. "It has been agreed recently that the war criminal Loki will be coming to this planet, this base to be exact, to finish out the remainder of his sentence." Natasha looked around and saw mouths hanging open. She too was shocked, but well trained in covering her surprise. "Why would that even be an option?" Tony barked. The look of incredulity on his face was priceless, Natasha thought. Normally he was so…composed. Fury was obviously not surprised by the aura of complete and utter disbelief in the room. He went on, "Odin, Thor, and myself have decided this punishment to be better suited for Loki. He has too much love for Asgard, and we wish for him to be sent to the place he tried to rule as a prisoner. The irony is just too perfect to pass up." He was really going to enjoy this, she could tell. "We thought we should send him away to exile, but here would be safest because we have you fine people to watch him. We want to make sure he doesn't relapse. You know, go back to his old ways of trying to turn everyone he meets into his loyal subjects and all that nonsense." The team was quiet for a minute. Bruce was the first to speak up, "So what exactly are we going to have to do?" Then Tony chimed in, rising out of his chair, "And what kind of freedom is this lunatic gonna have?" And then Clint shouted, "And what about his powers?!" He demanded.

"Everybody just calm down and shut up for a minute!" Fury ordered.

Just as the last words had escaped Fury's mouth, Thor burst through the doors of the conference hall.

"My friends!" He greeted joyfully. "It's wonderful to see you all again. It has been far too long."

"Thor, you were just on Earth last week." Tony snidely remarked.

"When you are so far away from your friends, it feels like ages have passed." Thor replied cheerily, completely oblivious to Tony's attitude, as well as to the attitude of the _entire _group.

"Thor, what perfect timing, we were just discussing the Avengers' next," he paused briefly, "assignment." He let out this last word with an agitated sigh.

"Excellent! Allow me to assist you Director," Natasha always loved listening to Thor speak, he had such a different way about talking than most mortals, she found it to be quite entertaining, "As you all have been informed-judging by the looks on your faces- Loki will be coming to Earth for possibly the remainder of his exile. My father and I believe that having Loki reside closer to mortals and their world will help him repent for his past misdeeds." He went on to say, "I know many of you were hoping he would have a greater punishment, but I assure you he is suffering, even if he does not show it. My father and I believe that he is truly starting to realize what he did and he may truly be starting to regret his actions. That is after all the goal of all this, because he is still a prince of Asgard, if he can prove himself worthy."

"What a crock of shit!" Clint was the one to speak up this time. Natasha was sure he would not be able to believe in Loki's supposed "change" so quickly. After all, he did practically enslave to poor guy. "I cannot believe we are seriously even considering the idea that he can feel remorse, let alone turn into a decent person."

Natasha had had enough. It was her turn to object, "I have to agree with Clint on this one guys. I'm sorry but being a glorified babysitter to a psychopath is not my idea of a great mission."

Director Fury eyed her thoughtfully before saying, "Well Natasha, I hope you weren't too set on getting an "exciting" assignment, because you are my number one girl on this job. After that stunt you pulled on Loki last time, we need someone with your cunning intelligence around to make sure he stays out of trouble."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Are you serious? Why not have Bruce do it? He practically lives here anyways and Loki is probably scared shitless of him after their last encounter."

Even Bruce had to laugh at that thought.

Fury smirked at her, obviously not at all convinced. "Oh don't worry, you will all get a turn to "babysit" as you called it Ms. Romanoff. I am counting on you all to do this for me. And just think, you get to watch Loki wallow in self-pity all day every day. Like your own personal soap opera;." He commented amusedly. Fury was really getting a kick out of this whole thing. Natasha, however, was not amused. She had hoped this assignment would be something new and enticing.

Thor butted in, "So it is settled then! Loki will be transported here later this evening!"

The whole team groaned. Oh, this was going to be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha had been given her assignment, and she had to accept it without complaint. Well, at least without any verbalized complaint. She paced in her room, not bothering to hide her anger with no one around to see it. She seriously could not believe she was going to have to babysit a villain, one they had already defeated. One who actually called her a "mewling quim!" Of all the insults…it made her stomach twist in a knot thinking of that encounter. He was a snake, a liar. She didn't cherish the thought of spending 3 days a week with the guy. Those were the orders anyways. She would have Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, noon to midnight, as watch-dog for the God of Lies.

She paused and turned at the sound of a light knocking on the door. She walked over and cracked it open, revealing a very uncomfortable looking Steve.

"Hey Nat, guess who's here? Go on, I'll give you your own special Captain America suit if you're right. We can be like twins." He smiled amusedly. She returned the smile, though still slightly agitated.

"Well, I am just gonna take a shot in the dark here and say…hmmmm…the God of Chaos has arrived?" He sighed, "Ding ding ding!"

"Did you come to collect me then?"

"I sure did, partner. We all have to become familiar with the "rules and regulations" or some crap like that."

I laughed. Steve was such a nice guy; it was surprising to even hear him say the word "crap." She was happy to at least have her friends close by to keep her sane through this whole fiasco.

They walked together all the way down to Loki's new quarters. She was surprised to see that when they walked in, it was like his own little apartment. There was a small kitchen, fully equipped, a large sitting room, and two doors. She was assuming these led to the bedroom and the bathroom. The room was very bare, mostly just dull shades of brown and gray. She supposed he didn't exactly deserve a personal decorator.

Everyone other than her and Steve were already present and accounted for. Clint gave her a knowing nod as she walked past him and took a seat on the rather uncomfortable sofa next to him. Thor and Fury were in front of the tv-Loki got a tv?—facing everyone who was sitting on or standing behind the couch. Of course all the Avengers couldn't fit on this tiny couch! Loki stood between the two men, looking positively annoyed and unsettled. Natasha smirked. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all; just reliving the victory.

Fury spoke up, "Okay guys, you all have your assignments; basically Loki does not leave this room. Some of our more privileged employees will bring food to stock the kitchen when needed and take care of that sort of housekeeping. You will stay in this room during your assigned hours, and never leave him unattended. Although he has been stripped of most of his powers, he still poses a threat and he must be treated as such."

Loki grimaced. She could tell this really was the worst punishment for him. How sad, being forced to associate with all of these 'lesser beings.'

Natasha wasn't sure she could handle three 12-hour shifts with Loki. She would definitely need books, lots of books. She silently thanked God that it was Monday. She felt sorry for Clint, he had first shift.

"Alright Clint, I hope your mentally prepared for this," Natasha whispered. Loki obviously heard her, angling his face to glare daggers in her direction. She smirked. At least she knew she could get to him. She had done it before and surely would be able to do it again.

"Thanks Nat, I feel better already," Clint replied sarcastically.

Fury and Thor left Loki's side to come in closer to the group of Avengers.

"Don't worry your pretty little heads, we have tons of backup if you guys can't handle it." Fury said amusedly. Bruce chuckled, "You may need back up for me if the other guy decides he wants to come out and teach Loki another lesson about humility."

Fury and Thor laughed at that; Loki was livid. His whole body went rigid at the memory. It was hilarious, Natasha thought.

She stood up, "Well, I think I will go and enjoy what free time I have left. Clint, good luck to you comrade," she jested. He just glared at her, obviously not amused.

She felt Loki's icy glare on her back as she left the room; it sent a shiver down her spine. Normally she wouldn't let her adversaries affect her in the slightest, but this guy was intense. She was interested and a bit intimidated to see how her first watch would go tomorrow.

Oh well, no need to worry about it now.

For most of the rest of the day she hung out with Steve and Bruce, playing cards in the dining hall and video chatting with Clint, who was already bored out of his mind.

"Loki has just been in his room the whole time; I haven't even really seen him. All I have is the tiny window on the top of his bedroom door to check on him once in a while, make sure he isn't escaping." Clint said, obviously annoyed. He was a much better assassin than a babysitter.

"Cheer up Clint" she offered, holding her hand over her heart. "Maybe you guys can bond over some romantic film. Have you tried putting on The Notebook?" Clint grimaced at the thought.

"No thank you! I'd rather just try to survive this shift, maybe by playing World of Warcraft?"

"Oh Clint please don't tell me you have that on your laptop." Bruce groaned. She and Steve burst out laughing. She was sad to think that would be her tomorrow, playing nerdy games and reading nerdy books just to kill the time. What a waste of life.

"Well Clint, I'm sorry to say this, but I am going to bed. Come see me in the morning and let me know how the rest of the shift goes." Natasha said sleepily. All this excitement had really drained her.

"Alright." He whined, "See you guys tomorrow." With that the screen went black and Natasha got up to head to her room. The guys wished her good night and headed their own separate ways.

8:30 AM

Natasha woke with a kink in her neck; she had fallen asleep reading again. She sauntered over to her tiny bathroom and mustered up the energy to brush her teeth. '_Wake up'_ she demanded of herself. She heard a knock at the door and wandered over, opening it to reveal a very energetic Clint. "Want to go for a run?" He questioned, not even noticing the zombified look on her face.

"Sure" she replied, just because she needed the fresh air. She hated being cooped up inside all the time. This was not her ideal assignment, that being just one of the cons.

She only took a few moments to get ready, figuring she could shower after the run.

Then they were out the door. They ran around a small park located a few blocks away from SHIELD base. It was nice to see normal people walking around, just enjoying the beautiful day.

She decided to strike up a conversation; this run was too quiet and she needed details about what was in store for her today. "So, anything interesting happen last night? Did Loki try to levitate you with his mind?" She laughed.

Clint smiled, "Actually, it was the least interesting night I've had in a while." Not much changed after you went to bed. Oh wait! I did see him go to the bathroom once! Does that count?"

"No, Clint."

He chuckled, "Well I am sorry to disappoint you, but it looks like 'you and Loki' time will be more like 'you' time. Which is always nice I think. Gives you a chance to relax."

"I don't know how I am supposed to relax when there is a crazy person like 10 feet away from me, quite possibly contemplating my demise." She noted sarcastically.

Clint laughed, "I think Loki is harmless right now, I Mean, we beat him when he had all of his powers and the Chitauri behind him, what makes you think we can't handle him now?" He did have a point. She felt comforted at the thought. But let's face it, the guy still creeped her out.

They headed back to base after stopping for a bite to eat at a little hole-in-the-wall diner. To her surprise, it was delicious. Although, usually any food she got her hands on right after a run tasted amazing.

Clint walked her to her room, all the while talking animatedly about his new bow, he wanted to show it to her this week some time. She said goodbye and went into her room, grateful for a shower. The hot water relaxed her sore muscles, and it even helped soothe her nerves. She couldn't deny that she was anxious about her first watch. She didn't really know what to expect, but hopefully he would just stay in his room like Clint had said. She relaxed in her room, book in hand, until the time came to head down to Loki's quarters.

12:00 PM

Natasha slowly opened the door to the main living area of Loki's living space. She looked around the room. No sign of Loki.

The room was just as bland as it had been the first time she was here with the other Avengers. The tv looked like it had not been used because the remotes were still in the exact same position. She was grateful to see that Loki was still holed up in his room. She took a quick pick in the window atop the door just to make sure. There he was, just sitting on the edge of his bed. She wondered if he had heard her come in and maybe just woken up? Oh well. She was thirsty and went straight to the kitchen to see what kind of drinks the employees had been stocking for the god. '_Mmmm_' diet coke. She saw one and snatched it. She had to get her caffeine fix if she was going to last any amount of time on this job.

She had only been sitting on the couch a few minutes, planning out the next 12 hours, when the bedroom door opened up and Loki walked out, looking very displeased with her presence.

"I am very sorry I cannot offer you better hospitality, Ms. Romanoff," he said coldy, "but I am afraid they have offered me very little in the form of entertainment. Do forgive me." She smiled at him with the sweetest fake smile she could muster.

"Oh, please don't trouble yourself over my well-being. I am _much_ more interested in how you're doing. Tell me, how is life now that you're a prisoner on the very planet you sought to destroy?" She smirked.

He sneered back at her, "Please do excuse me, but I have some "repenting" to get on with." And with that he walked straight back into the bedroom and closed the door. She couldn't help but wonder why he had come out here in the first place? Maybe he just felt like he could scare her because she was a woman. Well, he was way off on that one. She would not let Loki get in her head, ever.

8:00 PM

Eight hours. Eight hours of nothing to do. She had been through plenty of different forms of torture, but this one felt particularly cruel. Hang out with the guy you just spent all that time and energy defeating. Party! She was about to call Fury and start ranting when the bedroom door creaked open yet again. Loki looked at her, glared, and casually sauntered over to the kitchen.

"If you don't mind Ms. Romanoff, even gods have to eat." He commented. She smirked, "Funny, I don't see any gods around here, just one wannabe king full of broken hopes and dreams."

He was clearly not amused, he slammed the refrigerator door shut and walked right over to her. She poised her hand over her gun. "Don't think that little thing will help you against me _Black Widow_." He practically spat her name. "And don't you dare mock me ever again. You will regret it."

"I'm really scared now. And how exactly will you make me pay without all your powers?"

"I still have a quite a few tricks up my sleeve. And I am still much stronger than your feeble race." He scoffed.

She grinned, "I'd like to see you try Loki. In a half a second I'd have backup alerted and you would be out of this sweet deal they call a punishment. Be thankful you got off so easy for what you did."

He just stared at her. Finally he said, "I never forgot that moment you know. When you tricked me, of all people. It was truly humbling. Only for a few moments, of course. But still, I knew after that you were extraordinary for your species. So, why waste your time as a glorified babysitter when you could be doing something great?" He knew he really pissed her off with that comment. Was he reading her mind or something?

She remained silent. Not wanting to let her emotions get the better of her. But really all she wanted to do was shoot him in the face. He laughed, "Hit a nerve have I? How tragic it is that all you 'heroes' have to spend your time cooped up here with me. I do get some amusement in that fact." Then he was gone; locked up in his bedroom again. She could not believe this was her life now.


	3. Chapter 3

Her second shift with Loki was about to start. She had been disappointed last time when Loki had not been as elusive as Clint had suggested he was. This time he wouldn't get to her.

She walked through the door, locked it and walked straight up to Loki's bedroom door. She peered through and saw he was still fast asleep. She grinned and started to knock violently on the door. He shot up out of bed, momentarily confused, and marched over to the door angrily. "What can I help you with Ms. Romanoff?" He said through gritted teeth.

"Oh not much." She replied, "I was just wondering if you had seen my book, I think I left it here last shift." She smiled sweetly. Of course she knew her book was stashed safely in her room, but he didn't. And it was amusing to get him mad. "You don't mind if I look in here, do you?" She shoved past him, not waiting for a reply.

"Why, might I ask, would your book be in here? You were out in the living room the whole time." He sighed.

"Wow, you're right! My mistake." And with that she walked straight out to the couch, sat down, and turned on the tv to max volume.

"Do you mind?" He said, obviously extremely annoyed.

"WHAT?" She yelled over the loud volume. She had heard him, but this was fun. He was getting pissed now.

"This little game you are playing is not funny, Ms. Romanoff." He warned "You should choose your enemies more wisely. I know how close you are to those Avengers, and I could kill them in a second if I was pushed to do so." He growled.

Now that was going too far. She got up and pushed him so hard he hit the wall. He looked surprised she had done it. Good. Maybe he would stop underestimating her. "I don't buy your empty threats. So don't bother making them, but if you do it again, I'll glady kill you. I'm sure no one here would be mad at me if I did."

He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm around so that her back was against his chest. He threw his free arm around her neck. "I'm not sure you could kill me if you tried." He sneered.

"You may be a master assassin, Ms. Romanoff, but you are still no match for me. Besides, what would Thor think if you killed his brother just as he was beginning to repent? He would be so disappointed."

She paused. "Are you?" He let her go and looked at her, puzzled. "She straightened her shirt, "Repenting?" He turned away from her and started heading back to his bedroom, "That is none of your concern." He slammed the door.

She was letting him get under her skin. His response to her question did leave her a little confused though. Was he really seeking forgiveness from his family for what he had done? Was he really regretful in the least? She really wished she could tell. Normally she was pretty good at telling if people were lying and telling what they were thinking. Loki was a tough case to crack. She continued the rest of her shift there with a book in hand, glancing over her shoulder every once in a while, only to be disappointed. She was kind of getting used to these little fiery encounters with the God of Lies.

Tuesday, 8:00 AM

Natasha woke with a pounding headache. She had been up half the night, trying to decide if Loki's threats should be taken seriously. She finally concluded that he just didn't like the feeling of being out of power and out of control, and threats were all he had left. She decided to go see if anyone else was awake. She showered quickly and brushed her teeth. She threw on a navy blue sweater and some jeans. The base could get very cold, no matter what the season. She headed down to the dining hall for breakfast and there she saw Thor and Steve, quietly eating.

"Hey Nat! How was the shift last night?" Steve asked. She just shrugged, "It was pretty uneventful. Loki does seem a bit different somehow."

"Well, obviously, he doesn't have that stupid scepter anymore and he isn't crazy with power. Now he is just plain crazy." Steve replied, chuckling at his own joke, seeming quite self-satisfied.

"Do be careful how you speak of Loki, friends, for he is still my brother." Thor commented in between mouthfuls.

Natasha smiled, "I just meant he seems less, _crazy_ as Steve puts it. Thor, do you really think this sentence will help him? I mean, do you really think he can become one of the good guys?"

Thor mulled over this question for a moment before answering, "I think it is only a matter of time. I am not sure he will ever be one of the 'good guys' as you say, but I do think a small part of him regrets what he has done, and solely seeks acceptance. I think only time will tell, and I seek to bring out that small part of him until there is almost no room for darkness."

She gave him a light smile. "For your sake, and his I suppose, I hope you're right." She grabbed a plateful of fruit and started munching in a piece of cantaloupe until Clint ambled into the room. She smiled at him as he sat down with a plate at least three times the size of hers.

"Hungry?" She chuckled.

"Hey, I've been working out a lot lately." He grinned, giving her that fake tone of deep offense. "So, remember that new bow I was telling you about, you want to come see it after we finish eating? It has all these awesome attachments."

She could never deny such enthusiasm. "Of course, what could be more fun than watching you shoot a bow?"

"Oh, this is not just any bow, my dear Natasha." She giggled. "You say that every time. Pretty soon I'm going to stop buying it." She stood up, throwing her plate in the sink. Clint quickly scarfed down the rest of his food and they headed down to the archery range.

11:30 AM

Hanging out with Clint had been nice, even if listening to the detailed descriptions of every feature of his bow was a bit dull. She quickly said her goodbyes and headed up to her room to prepare for her next watch. She grabbed a couple books, her laptop, and made sure her gun was loaded. She couldn't believe how much Loki had gotten to her last time, causing her to lose sleep over it. She was astonished that she cared so much. Maybe she just saw something in him that reminded her of herself; something worth redemption. She brushed the thought aside and checked her phone. 11:50, time to head down.

When she arrived it was no different than usually. Bruce had been on watch this time around and was walking out; a look of relief washed over him when he saw her. "That good, huh?" She questioned playfully. He smiled tiredly, "Just being in there worries me, I don't want any mishaps, if you catch my meaning."

"Has he been provoking you?" She questioned.

"No, he's been keeping pretty much to himself actually. Just the thought that it _might _happen stresses me out." He chuckled.

She quietly wondered why it had seemed that so far it was only her he had chosen to harass. Perhaps he was not afraid of her? Well that was awfully sexist of him. Of course she didn't put the God of Lies past being a sexist pig. She smiled inwardly. She knew she could take care of herself and of Loki, if need be.

"Don't worry Bruce, Thor seems to think Loki's heart is growing a size a day!" They laughed and waved goodbye. Well, here goes nothing, she thought.

The first hour or two passed by with no interruption. She fooled around on her laptop, looking for any quick jobs she might be able to squeeze in before Fury would notice her absence. Loki's door opened quietly behind her, she mentally prepared herself for more of Loki's threats. Instead, he quietly came over and sat on the chair opposite her sofa. He glanced at her books, and then asked "May I?" She was too shocked to speak. She simply nodded her head in reply. He picked up one of the books and examined it. "The Odyssey?" He questioned, a bit unsure. "It's a classic. Greek mythology." She replied, still unsure why he was talking to her.

"Would you mind if I borrowed it, Ms. Romanoff? I have very little to do cooped up here." He stated as if nothing was strange about his behavior.

"Sure, why not." She replied, a bit hesitant. But, it couldn't hurt anything.

He got up, book in hand, and walked silently back to his room. She was so confused. Just the other day he was threatening to kill all of her friends, now he was borrowing her books and being…civil? She needed to figure out what his motives were, because at the moment she was at a complete loss.

Loki sat on his bed and wondered what the hell had possessed him to do such a thing. He really did have nothing else to do, but still, he could not let himself come off as kind or even tolerant. It would make him seem weak. He studied the book in his hand and eventually opened it, amazed at how much the mortal writing intrigued him. He supposed he did have a place close to his heart for these sorts of myths, because as he knew, most of them were true.

He looked up some time later and realized he had been reading for nearly 6 hours. He was surprised he had become so engrossed in this book. He set it down; in the back of his mind he wondered what Natasha was doing out there. He didn't quite understand why, but ever since that day she had tricked him after the Avengers had captured him, he could not get those eyes out of his head; that deep blue-green that seemed to go on forever. He shook the thought quickly. He could not let those kinds of thoughts seep into his mind, they were illusions. This was what she wanted, to trick him into trusting her. To make him think it was safe. He would never make it out of this punishment alive if he let these mortals trap him in his own conflicting emotions.

He quietly opened the door and walked out to see Natasha passed out on the couch on top of her book. She had looked tired earlier, but it was surprising to him that she would fall asleep on the job. Perhaps she did not see him as a real threat? That was not possible. All of them were surely afraid of the things he might do if given the chance. However, he did not want to hurt this woman. Especially given the fact that if he did, he would never have the slightest hope of returning to Asgard. This new punishment was his test.

_She was standing outside, the sun was shining and she could hear children playing. She was at a park, Tony and Pepper were behind her holding hands. Steve, Bruce, and Clint were there, talking excitedly about something. She couldn't quite make out words. She looked back up; snow had begun to fall and the sun turned black. She saw hundreds of Chitauri flying through the air, shooting and killing as they went along, laughing and howling. She felt a chill run down her spine and whipped around to see Loki, in his full Asgardian attire. He had his scepter back. 'No!' She screamed. He had a different look in his eyes. She had noticed it before. Almost as if the tesseract had possessed him, bringing out the darkest aspects of his soul. He grabbed her by the throat and dangled her over a newly formed pit in the ground. It grew wider and wider as he laughed maliciously. She cried out his name in hopes that he would change, but she knew too well no change would come. She screamed as she fell, fell, fell. She could see the bottom nearing._

Loki was watching Natasha pensively. She was quite beautiful, he thought, when she wasn't annoying him to no end. A tiny whimper escaped her lips. It caught his attention. She whispered- barely audible-'_Loki,'_ to his great surprise. Was she dreaming of him? He did not have much time to contemplate this before she was jolted awake. As soon as she caught sight of him she gasped. Obviously the dream had been more like a nightmare. He did not know why he felt disappointed at this thought.

"What are you doing?" She asked, still a bit shaken.

"I was just returning your book." He replied, setting the book on the table. He turned to leave, but as he did so she caught him by the wrist. He was startled by the sudden contact, for he had had none in so long. She gave him an apologetic look and quickly released him. "I just wanted to ask you about the tesseract." She looked down, not wanting to make eye contact.

"What about it?" He replied, attempting to maintain his cold demeanor.

"Did it leave you in full control when it was in your possession? Or did it somehow control you in a way?" She asked quietly.

He was surprised at the question but felt compelled to answer honestly.

"It did not necessarily 'control' me. It was more like it brought out my deepest wants and desires, and made me blind to all other things. It brings out the darkest parts of you. Although when you are dealing with someone like me, you do not have to dig very deep to find those parts." She looked at him, contemplating her next statement. She stood up to face him.

"I don't believe that you are all bad. I believe that you want people to think you are all bad, to push people away. I know about your history and your true origins. I think you push people away so as not to get hurt."

He did not like the feeling of being psychoanalyzed by this woman. He came closer to her, " You know nothing." He spat. She grimaced.

"You and I are more alike than you might like to think." She replied. "I may know more than you wish me too, and that scares you." She replied triumphantly.

He got mere inches away from her face, but she would not move, she could not show weakness.

"I do not scare easily, Natasha." The sound of her name on his tongue made her forget her point momentarily. She stared deep into his emerald green eyes. She tried so desperately to see into them, to see some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. They needed his good side to come out, as Thor had said, maybe her way with words could convince him that this side was buried in there somewhere. Once they saw fit, he would be back to Asgard and out of their hair.

Loki could not stand it much longer. He willed himself to look away but could not. Her stare was pulling him in, making him weak. This was their plot, he kept telling himself. He let himself get lost in her stare once again, and that was it. He lost all sense of self-control. With one hand he pressed her lower back towards him and with the other he clasped the back of her head, pulling her mouth to his in desperation.

Natasha was too shocked to move at first. She felt Loki's cold, soft lips on hers and her entire body tensed. She slowly started to relax. She knew it was crazy, logic was telling her one thing and her body was screaming another. Her hands relaxed at her side and she lifted them to rest on Loki's shoulders. He took this as an invitation to move further and brushed his tongue against her lips. She parted her lips, kissing him with more ferocity now. She grabbed at his shirt collar and ran her free hand through his smooth black hair. He pushed her roughly up against the wall near where the television sat and pinned her wrists on either side of her head. She could feel his heart racing in time with hers. This was crazy, _this was crazy_, she thought. He began to trail kisses from her mouth to her jawline, and then down to her neck. She let out a soft moan. At that moment she realized exactly _who_ she was letting do this to her. He slowly came back up to place another kiss on her mouth when she wriggled her wrist free and punched him square in the jaw.

Loki stumbled backwards, a look of shock plastered across his face. She quickly turned and ran outside into the hall and closed the door. '_What the hell just happened?' _

She had no idea what her next move would be. She couldn't believe he kissed her, and that she had kissed him back! It was ridiculous, she barely tolerated the guy! She knew she shouldn't have asked him such a personal question.

She quickly composed herself, straightened her hair, and walked back into Loki's living quarters. Luckily, he was nowhere to be seen. _'He must have gone back in his room to hide.' _She thought, thankful they didn't have to have that awkward conversation.

She put in her headphones and listened to music for the rest of the night, trying not to think about the way his lips had felt against hers.


	4. Chapter 4

Wednesday 11:00 AM

Natasha had been trying all night in vain to forget about what had happened between her and Loki. What were his motives? Maybe he sought to seduce her and then use his power over her as a weapon. She would not allow herself to be a part of his little plot for revenge. She would remain cold towards him, not letting herself ask questions. She would just do her job like it was any other mission, free from emotion. Of course, she did not need to mention this little encounter to anyone else…

Loki stayed up all night in his room, praying for sleep that would not come; anything to escape this new torture. What was happening to him? He could not believe he lost his composure around this mortal woman. She was in his every waking thought. How? What sort of magic was this? He would not allow himself these emotions. He needed to be strong now more than ever. All he wanted was to put this punishment behind him and return home. Of course he still desired power, and he would eventually find a way to satisfy that hunger, when the time was right. He just needed his powers back.

Natasha spent all of Wednesday hanging out with Steve and Clint. First, they took a much needed trip to the gym. Exercise was a great way to let out all that pent up emotion. Then they decided to go to the movie theater in the base. It was fully equipped, she had to admit. At least there was always something to do. They decided to watch the Great Gatsby. She thought it was horrible. Steve loved it. Afterwards, they went down to the dining hall and met up with the rest of the crew for dinner.

Natasha picked at her food but found she had very little appetite. All she could think about was that the next morning she would have another shift with Loki. She had so many conflicting emotions. She wasn't sure if they were real or if he was playing some sort of mind trick on her. No matter, it would never happen again. Of that, she was certain.

Thursday, 12:00 PM

As soon as Natasha's shift started, she walked straight up to Loki's bedroom door knocked. He cautiously opened the door, obviously surprised that she had sought him out. She started "I want to apologize for my behavior the other night, and let you know it will not happen again." He smirked at that.

"Was it not my behavior that started the whole ordeal?" She nodded in agreement and said "Don't let it happen again. I refuse to be a pawn in one of your games."

"I assure you, you are not." Was all he said. He looked at her, searching for the right words. "I would like to sit in your company, if it does not bother you, Ms. Romanoff. I find you to be quite intriguing."

"I don't mind…" She replied hesitantly, "just no funny business this time." She asserted. He looked at her, puzzled, when she said this, but she just laughed.

They sat as they had the other night when he borrowed her book, she on the sofa and he in the chair across from her. He talked to her about Asgard and its beauty. She could feel the sense of longing in his voice. They talked for hours about their own histories and found they had much in common. She told him of the Red Room—much he already knew from Clint when he had hypnotized him—and her experiences there. She could sympathize with his need to find his place among people who were not truly his family; his need for acceptance. She too felt she had been searching a long while for her own self-worth.

She glanced at the time as her stomach growled. It was nearly 6:00 pm. She had gone against her plan and got personal with Loki again. '_How much harm could it really do?' _She pondered. He would likely never be allowed to roam free, at least not in her life time, and could not use the information against her. Somehow, though, she felt that he wouldn't even if he had the opportunity to. She didn't understand where this new found trust for the God of Lies was coming from, but it made her nervous.

Loki laughed lightly, "Go ahead and eat Ms. Romanoff, I have stolen enough of your time as it is." He got up from his chair and walked back into his room. She watched him go and felt a slight twinge of sadness. She tried to bury the feeling deep down inside as she walked over to the fridge. She decided she was in the mood for breakfast for dinner, and began to make scrambled eggs and pancakes.

Friday 11:30

Natasha woke up to a loud bang. She immediately grabbed her gun. She looked at the clock, 11:30? Why the hell had she slept so long? Then she remembered she was up half the night, trying to figure out why she had let herself get into a deep, personal conversation with the enemy, a current prisoner and war criminal! She cursed inwardly. She thought she might be completely losing her mind, developing a soft spot for Loki, it was insane!

Her mind reverted back to the noise that had woken her only moments ago. It sounded almost like…

Clint and Steve burst through her bedroom door. "Sorry we didn't have time to knock Nat, but duty calls. We are under attack by the Chitauri." She immediately went to her closet and suited up. She was ready for anything these guys could bring her way. She knew that from experience.

As they ran down the halls she questioned her teammates, trying to be quiet about it. "Why the hell are the Chitauri here and how on Earth did they get here?"

Steve shrugged, "I'm sure after we are done kicking ass Fury will fill us in on all the juicy details. My best guess is they are here for revenge."

At that moment she realized their true motives. "Guys, we need to head to Loki's quarters, _now_."

She said it so urgently the other two didn't stop to question her. Though they did look a little confused so on their way she tried to fill them in on her epiphany. "The Chitauri are after Loki, he made some sort of deal with them and when he was defeated the deal was technically broken. I am sure they want to make him pay for not holding up his end of the bargain."

They immediately understood and the trio pressed forward, fighting any Chitauri that crossed their paths.

They reached the door to Loki's quarters. There were a group of Chitauri already there, trying to bust the door down. They succeeded right as the three Avengers crashed into them, the whole lot of them tumbling through the door to Loki's living room. Loki was in his room, unaware of the events that were currently transpiring.

Captain American threw his shield, taking out three Chitauri soldiers in one hit. They tumbled to the ground. Clint was standing in a corner across from the front door, shooting arrows as the Chitauri poured in. Natasha knew they were outnumbered. She called Fury in the free second she had and asked for backup, right before a Chitauri soldier came up from behind her and grabbed her by her hair. Clint shot him right between the eyes, but not before another one ran up and hit Natasha in the back of the head.

She saw stars, her vision started going fuzzy. She could just see the outline of a tall, dark shadow, emerging from another room. The last thing she saw were his emerald eyes as she fell to the ground; the last thing she heard was the man scream her name. It was an agonizing, tortured sound.

Loki didn't think about what he was doing, what he was risking before he did it. He just ran to her. She was out cold. He was so worried for her safety that he forgot to put on his cold, indifferent façade. For the past few days all he could think of was her; he did not know the reason. He only knew he wanted to protect her. He wanted to have her for his own; maybe because she was so accepting of him, she was so beautiful, yet somehow so much like himself. He backed away as he saw the other two Avengers gaping at him. He did not bother to stick around for their questions. He decided now was as good a time as any to win back some of their trust, and began to fight the Chitauri. Even though he had little of his powers to aid him, he was still a god. He was faster, heavier, and stronger than any of these mortals. He fought hard, trying to drown at the fact that Natasha lay on the ground, unconscious, and there was nothing he could do about it but wait hope for her to wake up. This woman, somehow, had weaseled her way into his heart. He felt things he thought he no longer could and if he lost her, he wasn't sure what would become of him. He tried not to; he did not know what the consequences would be. However, seeing her hurt in that moment, he didn't care. He knew right then he needed her.

She was the reason he felt regret, the reason he wanted to repent. She was the reason he suffered so much but at the same time she was the reason he wanted to be better. At least, as good as he could be.

The Chitauri were too many. They managed to drag Loki onto one of their flying machines and take off. All the while he continued to fight, he refused to be taken and tortured for the rest of his life just as he had started realizing all of these things about himself—about Natasha. He knew he was being selfish. That's what he did, after all. He battled the Chitauri soldiers as they flew him into the air, attempting to take him to their main ship. He knocked two of them off the back and they plummeted to their death. The other was tied securely to the front, and as Loki frantically grappled with him, they crashed into a large office building and Loki felt himself falling. Without his powers he could not stop it. He fell fast and hit the ground hard.

He tried to move, but it felt like every one of his bones had broken. He lay still there, hoping that his lesser enemies would find him before the Chitauri did.


	5. Chapter 5

"Nat! Nat! Wake up!" Natasha groaned. Her head was throbbing. She opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was blurred at first, but then Steve's face came into focus.

"How long was I out?" She slurred a bit, still unable to really focus.

"Just a few minutes," he went on to say, "The Chitauri are gone, and so is Loki. I guess they left when they got what they were looking for."

Natasha felt her stomach drop, like she was falling hundreds feet. She had been trying to suppress her thoughts of Loki, but the thought of him in danger pushed her over the edge. "We have to find him! He is _our_ prisoner, we cannot let the Chitauri take him and torture him for an eternity. Thor would be devastated!" She said, trying to cover up her own concern for Loki's safety. Steve helped her up off the ground and sat her down on the couch. "Don't worry Nat, Iron Man is on the job." He chuckled. "What a relief." She said sarcastically.

Tony didn't know if he really _wanted _to find Loki, but orders were orders. He followed the trail of a few stray Chitauri running to their ship scared. The Hulk had given them a not so warm welcome—it was certainly entertaining to see them fleeing with their tails between their legs. As he flew past a few tall office buildings, he saw a large crater in the streets below. Only one very dense god could make a whole that size falling from this height. He flew down and realized that Loki was not moving. He quickly hoisted him up on his shoulder and flew him back to S.H.I.E.L.D. base where they could hopefully get him up and running again for the rest of his prison sentence.

Loki was brought to the infirmary at the base. They said there wasn't much they could do but wait. He was a god after all, and his wounds would heal in time. Most of the wounds were internal. Thor and Stark carried Loki to his room after a day in the infirmary. He was strong enough to heal on his own in his room, and this way the shifts could continue as normal.

Fury called all the Avengers in for a meeting that day. He wanted to discuss the attacks. "As you all probably already know, the Chitauri were after Loki. We are still not sure how they were able to transport here, but they really want to make this guy pay. It is our duty to make sure they do not get their hands on him."

"Why should we risk our lives trying to protect someone who couldn't give a damn about the fate of anyone but himself?" Tony spoke up, obviously agitated.

"As I said, Thor and Odin believe a part of Loki regret what he did, and wants to change. They are considering accepting him back if he can prove himself. The tesseract was a powerful weapon, one that can take over an already unstable mind and create chaos. Loki was not equipped to handle such a thing. They believe it changed him, brought out his 'dark side' if you will. I am willing to give him a chance, as long as he stays on Asgard after he is deemed free."

Natasha listened obediently. She found herself agreeing with Thor and his father. The tesseract had great power; it could have poisoned his mind temporarily. Loki had his faults and he had his demons, but who knows what could become of him if given a second chance? She found herself wanting to stick around to see what would become of the trickster. She felt a certain attachment to him she couldn't quite explain. It was only Saturday, she thought disappointedly. She would not resume her watch duties until Tuesday. Her minor head wound would be healed by then, thanks to her _enhancements_ courtesy of the Red Room. She was looking forward to it; she missed the long talks with Loki, the messing with him and pissing him off. She felt she could be herself around him, she was no longer afraid of him as she had been when he first arrived.

The meeting concluded. They were informed there would be tighter security, because it was assumed the Chitauri would be back in greater numbers next time. The Avengers had to always be prepared for a potential battle. They were not to leave base until Director Fury felt the threat had decided. Most of the Avengers were annoyed at that little amendment to the rules. Natasha barely noticed the change.

Tuesday 12:00 PM

Loki was lying on the couch, remote in hand when Natasha walked through the door. She couldn't help the light fluttering in her stomach at the sight of him, safe and sound. He was obviously still healing because she had to help him sit up to make room for her on the couch beside him.

He gave her a coy smile "Missed me, did you Ms. Romanoff?" She laughed lightly. "Oh yes Loki, my days have been so dreary without you." She jested.

A serious look washed over his face. She too stopped laughing at the sudden change in the atmosphere. "What is it?" She asked worriedly.

"I am just glad you are safe Natasha." He had a pained look in his eyes. "I was worried for your safety, the day the Chitauri attacked."

She was a bit baffled by his statement. "Worried for me? Why?"

"Is it not obvious?" Was all he said.

She had no idea what to do. Obviously they were both feeling this connection. It burned inside of her and she yearned to reach out and touch his face. She resisted the urge. She could not give in to her emotions so easily. She had learned to combat these feeling in much of her training and experiences over the years.

"I'm not sure I understand your meaning." She said, averting her eyes from his. She knew she would melt if she looked into them for too long.

"I mean to say that I cannot get you out of my head, Natasha." He said it almost as if he were ashamed.

"I have tried in vain to forget you, but you have haunted my thoughts since the moment you thanked me for my 'cooperation' in New York that day. You have confided in me as if you could trust me. I do not know if this is a game you are playing Natasha, if so you have won me over completely and I have been powerless to stop it. I have never felt so close to another, excluding my brother when we were small children. I feel I could tell you every dark secret I have to offer and you would not shy away from me." He sighed, "Natasha…" He said, grabbing her hand.

She looked down at her hand in his. "This is no game," she replied. He did not wait for the rest of her confession. In an instant he pressed his mouth to hers. It felt very much like the last time he had kissed her, but this time there was more hunger, more _need. _She felt a pleasant shiver run down her spine. Her hands found their way to his hair, running through the soft locks gave her a sensation of comfort as well as excitement. She had kissed plenty of men, but she had never felt this kind of passion. This intense craving. She _needed _him, and she could feel that he needed her just as much.

She was his salvation.

He pulled her closer, closer; it was almost as if he were trying to meld their bodies into one. She swung her leg around him and straddled him, never breaking the kiss. He groaned in pain, "Sorry, I am still a bit sore." He gave her sheepish look. She just laughed lightly and said "I'll try to be gentler."

He cupped her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, Natasha." She gave him a look, but internally she had never felt so flattered. "Not just on the outside…it's just…_you. _I am completely taken by you. I cannot say I have ever felt so attached to another."

She looked into his eyes and could tell he meant every word he said. She truly hoped that letting her guard down with Loki would not result in dire consequences. She wanted to believe every little thing he said; she wanted to prove he could be better, not just for his sake, but for her own. She had fallen completely for Loki without a second to realize it was happening.

She put her hand over his and leaned in to place a small kiss on his lips, followed by another, and then another, until soon they were at it again, unable to stop. She felt she couldn't control herself around him. He brought her down with him as he lay back on the couch, her still straddling his hips. He flipped her onto her back, not quite so gently anymore. That fiery passion had returned, and Loki had obviously forgotten all about his healing body.

His hands ravaged her body, wanting to feel every inch of her. He lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor. The feel of his skin against hers sent tiny sparks of electricity through all of her nerve endings. He removed his shirt and immediately crashed another kiss into her. She dug her nails into his back, wanting more. Subconsciously she knew this was probably a bad idea, but she tucked that thought in the back of her mind for later. Right now she was dizzy with lust for Loki. She whispered his name and he let out a slight moan. Tugging and pulling at her pants until she was finally free of them. He tore off the rest of his clothing, not able to bear another second. He stared into her eyes for a moment before entering her, almost as if he were asking permission. She pulled him closer, needing to feel him in every way. They moved together; he kissed her neck and then bit down gently, causing a soft moan to escape her lips. He loved the sounds of her, the smell of her, the feel of her. The emotion was so overwhelming.

He realized in that instant that he loved this woman.

She finished with his name on her lips, and he had never felt so alive. They just lay there on the couch for a moment after they were done, breathing heavily. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat slowly begin to decrease as the minutes ticked on.

He whispered her name and she looked up at him, "I—" There was a sudden knock at the door. Natasha panicked. What would the others do if they found out? She jumped up and hurriedly put on her clothes, yelling, "Just a second!" She practically shoved a very disappointed looking Loki into his room. She ran to the door, took a deep, calming breath, and opened it. It was Clint.

"Fury wants to see you." He said, looking quite serious.

Her heart skipped a beat. She prayed there were no secret cameras in that she didn't know about or something crazy like that. "What for?" She asked, attempting to be nonchalant.

"I have no idea, he said I should take over here for a little while so you can go up to see him." She swallowed hard, trying not to think the worst. "Alright, I'll head over there right now then." Luckily Clint didn't seem to suspect a thing. Now all she had to do was make sure Fury didn't either.


	6. Chapter 6

As Natasha walked to Fury's office, she relived every instant that had just taken place in Loki's living room. She could not believe she was taking such a chance with him. She was possibly risking her career with S.H.I.E.L.D. for him, and he was supposed to be the bad guy! And for what? She did not want to think about the answer to that. It was too crazy. She concluded that she had completely lost her mind just as she arrived at Fury's door. _'Here goes nothing'_.

She walked in and sat down in front of Fury's desk. She remained emotionless, but on the inside her heart was racing. She only hoped he couldn't hear it.

"Hello Ms. Romanoff." He greeted, "I understand you have your shift with Loki on Thursday and Friday from noon to midnight?"

"That's correct." was all she could manage to force out.

"Alright, good. We have intercepted some communication between the Chitauri fleets; we believe they mean to attack again on Friday. However, we have no idea what they are planning. I would like for you to barricade the room. Make sure none of them make it into Loki's quarters before we can take care of them. Am I clear? Under NO circumstances do you leave that room or let Loki out of your sight."

"I read you loud and clear sir," she replied, letting out a huge internal sigh of relief. "Is that all you needed?" She asked.

"That's it. I'm counting on you to make sure we don't lose our _fabulous _guest."

She chuckled softly as she walked out the door. _'Holy shit that was close.'_ She walked back to Loki's living space and Clint was still there, just lounging on the couch, eating some chips he snagged from the pantry. "Go ahead, make yourself comfortable." She laughed

He grinned, "You should always take advantage of free food lying around, Nat. When you're an Avenger, living an exciting and eventful life such as this, you have to treat every meal like it could be your last." He faked a serious face.

She smirked, "Ahhh so that's why you are always stuffing your face when you think nobody is looking. Makes perfect sense." He faked a dramatic gasp and threw his hand over his heart.

"That hurts Nat, you know how self-conscious I am about my weight." He got up to leave and as he walked to the door she slapped him playfully on the butt, "Even with all those chips you still manage to look great. I'm so jealous." She faked a pout.

He laughed, "See ya tomorrow, good luck with the rest of "mission"." She punched him in the arm and sent him on his way.

As soon as he was gone and the door was locked she strode over to Loki's bedroom door. She knocked lightly and opened it. He was lying on the bed, just staring up at the ceiling fan as it spun. "You guys are awfully chummy." He said, rather disparagingly.

She sighed, "Clint and I have always been close like that, he is like a brother to me."

Loki looked up, "And that's all?" His voice was a mix of hope and doubt.

"Yes," she said, walking over to him and sitting near his torso. He reached up to rest a hand on her lower back, "I was worried you would not be returning for the rest of your shift." He absent-mindedly traced little circles around her back with his index finger.

She turned and offered him a light smile, "You must get really bored around here. How do you feel about cooking?" He grimaced, "I have never had the need to cook for myself." She smirked, "Come on, _your highness_, it'll be fun."

He sneered, "I do not tend to do things for fun, rather I do them to gain power."

"Well isn't that what got you in here in the first place. Change is good; don't worry, I won't let you burn yourself." She said, tugging on his shirt sleeve and dragging him into the kitchen.

They must have used every dish in the kitchen. They made an absolute mess; of course Natasha did most of the actual work, but she was pleasantly surprised to see Loki actually put in a little effort. Maybe there was hope for him after all…Of course it wasn't like she expected him to just magically turn into a perfect gentleman, always doing and saying the right things. But that is what drew her to him, one minute he was a power-hungry sadistic asshole, the next he was helping her cook a grand feast. She knew he had some serious problems he needed to work out if he ever had hope of changing and being accepted, but she was pretty sure she wanted to be there to help make it happen.

He took her hand as she began putting some of the food in the fridge, "Thank you" he said, and brushed his cold thumb across her cheek. She stared up into his amazingly green eyes. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. Immediately she knew she wanted more. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her again, kissing him passionately.

They pulled away only to catch their breath for a moment. Then he was on her again, overcome with the need to touch her. As she ran her small fingers through his hair he lifted her legs, hoisting her up on the counter. She wrapped them around him and let out a slight moan as he worked his kisses down to her neck. With her legs still encircling his torso, he walked her to the bedroom.

This time he did not hold back. He quickly rid her of her shirt and threw it on the floor. Immediately trailing kisses from her neck to her breasts, then down her belly until he reached her pants. He unbuttoned them and yanked them off, throwing them onto the floor as well. The minute he was undressed he hovered over her, not waiting for any subtle nods of permission this time. He entered her slowly, eliciting a moan from both of them. He clutched her against him tightly, moving in and out slowly at first but then picking up the pace as the need and want for her became more intense.

She felt her legs shake as she finished, Loki finishing shortly after and collapsing next to her on the bed. They remained still, panting heavily for a moment. She did not want to say anything to ruin the moment; what she felt when she was with Loki couldn't really be put into words. She had never been in love, or at least she didn't think she had, and she was frightened by all these overpowering emotions running through her mind. So instead, she just sighed and curled up next to him, nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck. He pulled her closer and held her there until they both fell asleep.

Wednesday 10:00 AM

When Natasha had left Loki's room last night at midnight, she tried her best not to run in to anyone on her way to her bedroom. She knew her cheeks were still flushed and her hair needed a serious brushing. She snuck into her room, hopped in the shower, and brushed her teeth. She smiled at the thought of Loki holding her until she fell asleep. She couldn't believe how safe she felt around this man—correction, _god_—whom she previously would have believed killed baby puppies in his free time. Now thinking about it, he was very different than he seemed.

She thought she should know- she was very good at pretending to be something she was not.

Now it was Wednesday morning, and she couldn't believe it, but she was actually disappointed that she did not have Loki watch duty. She decided to head down to the shooting range just to kill some time. Maybe Clint would be around to hang out.

She wished she could tell Clint about all the things that had been going on with her and Loki lately, but she was too afraid of what he would think of her. Also, she wasn't ready for it to end. If she told Clint, surely he would let Fury in on the situation.

When she arrived at the shooting range, Clint and Steve were both there. Clint with his bow and Steve, the poor guy, listening to his _riveting_ descriptions of all its special features. What a perfect opportunity to interject. "Hey guys." She walked up to them, clapping them both on the back. "How about we do something a little more interesting." Steve gave her a relieved 'thank you' glance.

"What did you have in mind." Clint said, obviously intrigued.

"Well, they just built that new obstacle course…I say whoever can get through it first gets to have the other two buy them dinner from anywhere they want! Even if they have to fly to Italy to do it."

"Alright I think I can afford that-not that I'll need to." Steve winked.

She giggled. Alright, go time. The obstacle course had been built recently for training and exercise purposes. It looked like a giant laser tag facility. There were rock climbing walls, long jumps over pools of water, targets you had to shoot in certain spots in order to proceed. It was super high tech and Natasha was ready to give it a good test run.

There were many different trails so people could race, all the same length but with varying challenges along the way.

They stood at each of their entrances, taunting each other playfully until the green light signaled for them to go. Natasha broke out into a full on sprint. The cool thing about it was you could use any weapon you chose, she obviously grabbed a gun. Why not compete using her best weapon?

She rolled on the ground as darts shot out from the walls (the tips were dull so they would really only bruise if they hit a player). They would definitely slow you down, though. This course was not to be underestimated.

She jumped up and kept running, she saw a rope up ahead and latched onto it, swinging across a large pit of mysterious goo. _'Gross'_ she thought, relieved she hadn't fallen into the disgusting substance. She landed, immediately having to climb an enormous wall. On the other side, she repelled down quickly, feeling confident that she was beating those other slow pokes. She smirked, she was much more nimble.

Approaching the end of the course she had to shoot a few targets to open the last door. She did so quickly, never missing. She ran out the exit, looking around triumphantly. A hand came down and slapped her shoulder from behind.

"Better luck next time." Clint smirked. Her jaw dropped from pure disbelief. She couldn't believe she lost.

"You cheated!" She yelled. He just laughed, "Don't be a sore loser Nat."

She faked a hurt face and Steve joined them, "Don't pick anywhere too pricey Clint," he said, "I'll have to ask Fury for a loan." They laughed and head down to the dining hall for some much needed nourishment.

She was glad the obstacle course got her mind off of Loki for at least a little while, now that they were done, thoughts of him danced through her mind endlessly. She sighed inwardly; she was in some serious trouble.

**NOTES: **_Hey guys I hope you are enjoying the story! I try to update quickly but I am a full time student so it may start to become longer in between updates. This is my first fanfic so please review! I'd love to know how I'm doing. Thank you for your support_


	7. Chapter 7

Thursday 9:00 AM

Natasha had been up half the night, seriously considering breaking into Loki's room and getting a little…"help" with her restlessness. She knew that it was a crazy idea the moment her brain processed it. Instead she just lay in bed, looking forward to the next day when she would see him.

She got out of bed that morning and decided to go for a run around the indoor track. Even though it was indeed indoors, the track was surrounded by trees and a pond and even some small animals. It was a replica of a park somewhere in New York, and it truly was breathtaking how they had managed to make it seem like she was really running outside. It was good for her since she had to go on duty at noon and did not really have time to leave base.

She finished her run around ten and went to the dining hall to grab some breakfast. She smiled as she saw Bruce and Tony already there, talking science as usual. She ordered up an omelet from the chef and sat down next to them.

"Isn't it a little early to be getting your guys' nerd on?" She quipped.

Bruce just shrugged, "I might say the same thing about exercising, Nat." She chuckled, "I guess you have a point there." A little bell dinged, signaling her to get up and get her omelet from the chef. She brought it back to the table and Tony immediately stabbed it with his fork and stole a bite.

"Hey!" She pouted.

"Thanks, I was starving." Tony smirked.

"And why couldn't you order food?" She questioned.

"I am meeting Pepper for lunch, and once I start eating I won't be able to stop. Gotta save room! That bite should hold me over for the next hour or so." He grinned at her. She couldn't help but smile back, a man that charming could get practically anything he wanted. She thought she could probably out-charm him if it came down to it. She had some serious acting skills.

"So," she attempted to subtly change the subject, "how have your guys' watch duties been so far? Anything interesting?"

Tony snorted, "Yeah, right. Watching Loki is almost as interesting as watching water boil. I never see him come out of his room."

"Same here." Bruce added. "He seems very cut off from people, like he hates being forced to come in contact with us."

"Obviously." Tony remarked.

Natasha just chuckled. If only they knew.

She headed up to her room after breakfast and brushed her teeth and hopped in the shower. Once she got out she actually thought about what she was going to wear for once. Not that she thought it really mattered. She just wanted to look nice for some reason. She eventually decided on a semi-tight dark red v neck and boot cut jeans. She thought about wearing heels, but then tossed them aside and put on some black leather, ankle-high boots instead. She decided to put on a little mascara and some blush this time and laughed to herself. She didn't normally put in this much effort to watch a prisoner.

When it was getting close to noon she grabbed a deck of cards and shoved it in her back pocket. She strode over to Loki's room and knocked. Steve opened up this time, very ready to leave.

"Thank goodness, I was just about to nod off, and that could have ended badly with a crazy person in the next room." She almost spoke up in Loki's defense but then mentally slapped herself. She really was losing it.

"Black Widow to the rescue." She said, almost half-heartedly. Steve didn't seem to notice anything though. As she walked in he added, "Hey, what are those cards for?"

She swallowed hard, "Oh, I was just going to, um, play some solitaire! Yeah…not much else to do around here." She sighed, it sounded true enough.

"Oh cool, maybe you can teach me next time? I get bored in there and I have never played that." He merrily replied.

Steve was amazingly cool. "It would be my pleasure." With that she waved goodbye and steeped into Loki's living room, locking the door behind her.

Loki immediately came out of his room and gathered her in his arms. "Solitaire huh? Getting bored of me already?"

She smiled, "Actually I had something much more fun in mind. I am going to be teaching you how to play poker!"

"Be wary, my dear, I am a very fast learner." He warned, kissing her neck lightly.

They sat down at the table in the kitchen together and she started to go over the basic rules. "So this is Texas Hold'em. It is pretty straight forward. The hands go in order as follows of lowest to highest: pair, two pair, 3 of a kind, straight, flush, full house, 4 of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush. Or if nobody has anything, the highest card wins." She tried to explain all the rules as best she could.

"What should we use to bet?" She asked him when she was through.

He just smirked, and she immediately knew where this was going. "Well obviously money means nothing to me. I think we should bet our clothing." His smile grew at the thought of her stripping for him.

"Let me stop that thought right there." She smirked. "Are you sure you want to, I mean you have to face the facts here, you probably won't get me out of a single thing." She said cockily.

He just smiled, "Challenge accepted, Ms. Romanoff." She hated when he called her that, but it just fueled her competitive attitude even more. She was ready to kick this conceited god's ass. Poker was a game of luck, but it also required a good liar. This was something they were both obviously good at. But, since she had just taught him how to play, she knew she had an unfair advantage. With a smug look on her face she held out her hand, "Let's do it. Loser has to stay naked for the rest of the night."

He laughed at that. And then the game began. Natasha beamed at him as she won the first hand with a full house, kings full of nines. _'Looks like tonight is my lucky night,' _she thought. She wanted nothing more than to humble Loki and prove yet again that she was not one to be messed with. Loki took off his shoes reluctantly.

For the rest of the game Natasha just could not catch a break. Loki seemed to know exactly what she was thinking every hand. There was no way this was his first poker game. When she was down to just her bra and underwear she confronted him, "You've played this before, haven't you?" She asked, giving him an accusatory look.

"Dearest Natasha, I have been around a very long time and traveled to many different realms, you really thought I had never played poker in my lifetime? I guess I am a better liar than I had previously thought." He mused.

She just glared at him. "I refuse to walk around naked all night." She glowered.

"I am afraid rules are rules," he said, laying down yet another flush. She hesitated at first, and then decided she didn't want to seem like a coward and unhooked her bra. As it fell to the floor she reassured herself that she had been through much worse, and this was nothing save a little embarrassing.

Loki let out a low whistle. "Every time I see you it is like the first time." She blushed a little at that.

When they finished the game, Natasha was completely naked and Loki had only lost his shoes, socks, and shirt. She was pissed! Here she was thinking she was going to kick his ass at this game and get to rub it in Loki's face, and now she was stark naked trying to cover herself with a small throw pillow she stole from the couch.

"Ah ah ah," he said, waving his one long finger, "I do believe pillows count as clothing." He grabbed at the pillow but she ducked out of the way, rolling behind the couch. He laughed. "I'm going to get that pillow eventually, young lady."

"I'm not that young." She argued, giving him a dirty look.

He laughed, "You are to me. I have been alive for quite some time."

She decided she did not really want to know how long he _had _been alive. Soon people would start thinking she was only after his money…She chuckled to herself, and then realized how sad it was that she laughed at her own jokes in her head.

Before she had time to think Loki had grabbed her by her ankles and dragged her away from her precious pillow. He crawled over her as she hopelessly tried to cover herself. She glowered at him, "Fine you win, I will just have to find something else to beat you at."

He looked pleased at that. "I know something that you are quite good at Natasha, and I do wish I could figure out your secret." He stared down at her, both puzzled and lustful.

"What might that be?" She questioned.

"Bewitching me. You are so very tempting." He said, running a light finger all the way from her neck down to her navel and then stopping. "Why is that?" He asked as if the answer truly eluded him.

The truth was she wanted to know the same thing regarding him. At that moment though, she didn't really care. She just wanted to give into him.

He sensed what she was thinking and leaned down and kissed her. She opened her mouth, tasting him for the first time in what felt like forever, when really it had only been a day and a half. She forgot about being totally naked on the living room floor and just focused on how she felt in that moment: complete and utter happiness.

Loki scooped her up off of the floor and carried her to his bed. He laid her down and discarded what remained of his ensemble. When he got into bed he pulled the covers over them and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pressed his forehead to hers and they just remained there for a moment with their eyes closed, breathing each other in and enjoying the closeness.

He bent down to kiss her, softly at first but then more eagerly as she deepened the kiss. She rolled him over so she was straddling him. He smirked, "I hope you do not think this is another competition, Natasha." She smiled at the sound of her name on his lips.

"Oh, no, of course not." She lied. He just laughed and flipped her back over.

"You need to stop challenging me, you are only going to lose." He whispered huskily in her ear.

She let out a small gasp as he grabbed a handful of her hair and crashed his lips into hers. He bit her lip, not drawing blood but just painful enough to be pleasurable. She could play at this game to.

She broke the kiss and went to his ear, nibbling on it and licking until he groaned for more. She ran her nails down his back as he entered her and smirked as he let another low moan escape. He kissed her fervidly, only breaking the kiss when she cried out in satisfaction. He finished shortly after her and remained inside of her for a moment, relishing the feel of her and this sort of closeness he had never felt. When their breathing finally slowed, he rolled over and pulled her close to him, her head resting lightly on his shoulder. She smiled up at him, "I don't suppose I could trouble you for a glass of water?" She batted her lashes innocently.

"I would do anything for you," he said-sounding genuine-as he got up. It surprised her a little, just because of who it was coming from. She had no idea how much she meant to him.

They just lay in bed the rest of the night, seeing as she was required to stay naked anyways. They talked and read and slept. She could not believe that her life had taken this unexpected turn, but she was grateful it had.

She left at midnight, making sure not to leave any of her items of clothing lying around that were forgotten about during and after the poker game. She didn't want to raise any suspicions. She went to her room and felt sad that she could not just stay and sleep in Loki's arms. She dreamt of the day she would tell everyone about them and knew it was dream because nobody tried to strangle her.

Friday 10:00 AM

'_This will never work'_, she thought as she got out of bed. She was just going to have to enjoy it while it lasted. For some reason though, she couldn't bring herself to think of the end.

She got ready for her shift, right as she was brushing her teeth she realized what day it was. It was Friday, the day the Chitauri were meant to attack again. She was not really comfortable with the idea of hiding in Loki's room and leaving the fighting to everyone else. She knew they could handle it, but if something went wrong, she might just have to disobey Fury's orders. She mentally prepared herself for the day's upcoming events, hoping that it would just be a false alarm. It was the first time in a while that she actually prayed for nothing to happen; normally she was always ready for a good fight, she enjoyed the thrill of it. Now she just wanted to enjoy her quality time with Loki in peace, without anyone attempting to kidnap and torture him.

When it started to get close to noon, she headed over to his quarters, anxious to get the barricade going. Clint was there. "Hey Nat, good luck, I would hate to be the one who had to lock myself in a room with Loki—nobody in or out." He chuckled. She just smiled, "I think I can handle it."

When she got into Loki's living room, she locked the door and began moving things around. When she had all the heaviest things in the room in front of the door, with Loki's help, she felt satisfied.

"Now what?" He questioned.

"Now we wait." She sighed. "Hopefully this is all just for nothing."

Suddenly they heard a huge bang. It sounded like a bomb going off right outside the base, or perhaps inside, she wasn't sure.

"Well, shit." She said, looking at him worriedly.

"I am glad I have you here to protect me Natasha." He said jokingly.

She was too worried to laugh. Normally she didn't get this nervous when it came to a fight, but she was legitimately scared for Loki. She grabbed his hand, not sure if it was more for him or for her own comfort.

She smiled up at him apprehensively, "Here we go."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **_Sooo sorry for the huge gap between updates. Life has just been crazy and I have not found the time to just sit down and write. Thank you for waiting patiently and for your reviews! _

_Anyways, onwards!_

Natasha had her walki on her just in case she was needed. She grew more nervous as she heard the shouting back and forth between her teammates. She gathered that they were heading outside, where a bomb had blown in the courtyard. She heard them yelling about Chitauri soldiers. She knew they would soon be trying to break in and get to Loki. But, as time passed, no Chitauri, from what she could hear, were seen breaking into the base or getting anywhere near Loki's quarters.

That began to worry her. _'Why aren't they trying to get in here?'_ Before she could really think on it, she heard something she had been dreading. She could hear Steve shouting over and over again, "Clint's down, Clint's down!"

Loki squeezed her hand tighter.

"Loki…" she said, feeling guilty, "They need me, I can't just stay in here and listen to this."

"I understand." He nodded.

"Will you be alright?" She questioned, her voice tinged with concern.

"I will be fine. I need not be protected by you. I am a god after all." He gave her a half-smile. "I am more concerned for your safety than my own."

"This is what I do for a living." She retorted stubbornly. She pushed him lightly towards his bedroom. "Please just lock yourself in there and block the door, for my own peace of mind."

He cupped her cheek and stroked it gently with his thumb. "Take care of yourself." With that he reluctantly pulled his hand away and went into his bedroom, not turning to look back at her, for fear he may not be able to let her go.

She felt terrible. She did not want to disobey Fury. But most of all she did not want to let Loki down. However, her friend's lives were at stake, and Clint…Clint was her dearest friend. She had to go help. She was a valuable asset in a fight like this.

She quietly crept through the entrance to Loki's living area and locked it. She could see no Chitauri in sight. _'At least they haven't broken into the base yet'_ she thought with a sigh of relief. However, she still felt a little suspicious. The last time they had attacked they got inside in no time. Perhaps their defense was just better now?

She ran like the wind and yelled into her walki, "Where the hell are you guys? Where is Clint?"

Tony responded first, "Nat, what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be with Loki?"

"Nevermind that!" She yelled, agitated that she had not found Clint yet. She burst through the doors leading out to the courtyard. She could see Steve just off in the distance leaning over someone on the ground near the main fountain. Just as she realized it was Clint, she was shot in the back of leg by one of the Chitauri soldiers. She gasped in pain.

As he began to descend on her, she pulled out her gun and shot him right between the eyes. She took in her surroundings. The things were everywhere. Flying, running, and fighting. There were too many.

Iron man flew above her yelling "Are you okay?"

She gave him a thumbs up and shakily got to her feet. He blasted two soldiers that came after her as she limped over to Clint. Steve was still there. As she leaned down to talk to Clint, Captain America hit enemy after enemy with his shield. Only stopping for a second to look down at her and make sure she was still alive. "I'm fine Steve, it looks worse than it is." He nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer.

Clint, however, did not look so good. He had been wounded badly in the explosion. His shirt and pants were torn and his face was pale, suggesting he had already lost a lot of blood. She winced at the sight of him. He looked up at her and offered a reassuring smile.

"Hey Nat, remember when I kicked your ass in that obstacle course?" She let out a small laugh, which threatened to turn to tears.

"Yes."

"I cheated." He replied bluntly.

She squeezed his hand and chuckled lightly. "I'll be fine, don't worry. Just go out there and get some of that action you have been dying to have." She gave him a sad smile.

"Not at this price." She got up and stood next to Steve. "Let's kill these bastards."

Steve smirked, "Way ahead of you Nat."

She found she had a huge burst of energy. She turned and shot three Chitauri in a row, she did a tumble behind Steve and clipped one in the head just as it was running towards Clint. Clint had propped himself up against the fountain, and proceeded to shoot arrows into the soldiers that were flying above their heads. She watched in awe as one of the smaller ships came down and crashed into a large tree only a few hundred feet away. "You still got it!" She called to Clint, praying he could hold out for a while longer. He answered with a shot to the head of a Chitauri running straight for her, "And _you_ need to pay attention!" He chuckled. She couldn't help it, she was so preoccupied. She had never let her worries affect her work so much. What was happening to her?

"Where's Fury?" Tony shouted from above. She just realized she had not seen Fury all this time. He was always ready to help with a fight, especially right on base. He was not one to run and hide.

Her thoughts were interrupted when lightening suddenly filled the sky and Thor shot down to their location, hammer in hand.

He had grave look on his face. "I must speak with Fury. I think I know how the Chitauri are traveling here. The tesseract is gone from Asgard!"

They all look at him in shock. "I thought you guys had that place under lock and key?" Natasha says in disbelief.

"Someone from the inside must have been helping them…or someone who knows Asgard better than most." His eyes flashed in realization.

"Thor, you don't think Loki had anything to do with this?" She looked at him in utter disbelief.

"I must find Fury, but first, I must speak to my brother." He replied gravely.

She grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the entrance, "I'll take you to his quarters; you haven't been here in a while."

They ran through the halls, all the while Natasha's mind was racing.

'_Please tell me this wasn't you, Loki. There must be some other explanation. But there can't be. How could I be so stupid! No, Natasha, there must be another way. You don't trust just anyone. He is innocent. He is innocent. _

Meanwhile….

In Loki's room he could hear noises outside in the living room. He dared not go outside and see what it was. If it was Natasha returned, she would make herself known by calling out to him. He could hear multiple people in the room. He stole a peak through the small window above his door, _'Damn, Chitauri. Why are they not trying to break in here?'_

He heard a loud thump…almost like a body hitting the floor. Then he heard them flee. He decided to risk going out into the living room.

He paled when he saw the present they had left for him. Fury's limp, dead body laid on the floor next to…the tesseract. He could not believe his eyes. He picked it up and stared at it in horror.

At just that moment, Natasha and Thor burst through the door.

Thor ran in and yelled, "Loki! The tesseract is miss—" He stopped dead in his tracks. Natasha nearly bumped into his back and knocked the large god down with all her momentum.

Loki stood there gawking at them, tesseract in hand, with a dead director Fury at his feet. Natasha could not believe her eyes.

"This is not what it seems." Loki said desperately, as Thor's anger began to boil over and Natasha just stood there, dumbfounded.


	9. Chapter 9

Loki took in the look of horror on Natasha's face. Thor was gripping his hammer so tight that his knuckles were turning white. He glared at his brother.

"Loki, what have you done?"

Natasha couldn't move. She couldn't speak. Loki ignored his brother, staring past him at Natasha. She looked horrified. She had that same look that everyone else had when they looked at him, disappointment and disbelief. Loki couldn't stand it.

"Natasha…do you really not believe this was not my doing?" He tried to say it softly, but found anger and hurt had crept into his voice.

She averted her eyes, staring hard at the floor. She wished she could just teleport somewhere else right now; anywhere that Loki's eyes were not boring into her.

"I—I don't—" was all she could manage to choke out.

Loki gave her an incredulous look. He truly thought she had felt the same for him that he felt for her. Perhaps she was a better liar than he was after all.

"So this was all just a game to you after all." He spat. "I should have known you were no different. You could never have faith in such a person as me." He was fuming now.

Thor started to get nervous, realizing Loki still had the tesseract. "Brother, please, don't do anything you will regret. You can still change."

"I have tried your way, _brother_, but no matter what I do you will all always have doubts in me. I will never truly belong. And I say: if you can't join them, _rule them_."

A strange blue light started emanating from the tesseract. Natasha was at a loss for words, she had too many thoughts and emotions running through her head. Betrayal. Confusion. Anger. Love. She didn't think there was any way Loki could prove he had not done this. Given his history and the situation that had just played out in front of them, she had to accept that he was always going to be the same god with the same black soul. She knew she should not have so easily given into him. She thought she might have loved this man, but she found that he could only really love power. She shut her eyes hard to fight off the tears that threatened to escape. She heard Loki yell, "Since you do not believe in me, I see no sense in trying to gain your trust, let alone your love. I have no use for it. What do I need those things for when I can rejoin with the Chitauri and get my revenge? I will accomplish my original goal. I need no one but myself." The light shot up into the sky and in an instant Loki was gone, along with the tesseract.

Natasha fell to her knees. She knew she had let him down, but she was still not sure she could trust him. She knew her own feelings were still uncertain. She just could not bring herself to admit openly that she had loved Loki and that she had trusted him, because she did not want everyone to know she had fallen for it. That he had betrayed them all and she had no idea it was coming. She did not want to be so weak.

Thor knelt down next to her. "Natasha, are you alright? Do not worry, we will find Loki before he can harm anyone else. I will let Odin know immediately of this most dreadful news."

All she could do was nod. How could she tell Thor everything? Would it even make a difference at this point? She didn't think so.

"Come Natasha, the Chitauri are still here, we must help our friends." Thor hoisted her up off the floor and he started to run back towards the outside area of the base, where all the Chitauri seemed to be focusing their attack. Natasha felt dizzy. She took a few deep breaths and began looking around the room. She just wished she could find something, anything that would clear Loki's name. In her heart she believed it wasn't true, that he was innocent. However, her head was telling her something else. It was telling her all the evidence was piled up against the god of mischief, that he could never truly redeem himself. That she was a total idiot for falling for his tricks. He was probably just getting close to her so she would think she could trust him alone during an attack…it made perfect sense. But still, she could not bring herself to fully accept it.

She walked out of Loki's quarters, heading down the hall.

As she passed by a few more rooms, she heard a noise like hushed whispering. She crept up to the door she though it was coming from and stood by. The door was slightly ajar, allowing her to just make out what they were saying. She knew they were Chitauri soldiers right away by that instant feeling in her gut. She got as close to the crack as possible without the chance of being spotted.

She realized immediately they were talking to someone who was not in the room with them, perhaps over a speaker phone or device of that nature.

"Has it been done?" The voice was that of a woman, definitely not Chitauri.

"Yes my lady, we've planted the body and the tesseract, Loki should be long gone by now." One of the soldiers replied.

"Good, you will be rewarded handsomely for this." The woman said. Natasha cursed inwardly; she knew she should have believed Loki. She knew all this time he really had been changing. She felt a mixture of relief and dread. How would they ever find him? And even if they did find him, would he be willing to give the whole redemption thing another shot after everyone had doubted his word?

She felt so ashamed. She listened harder, praying they would reveal the woman's identity.

She continued talking. "I am so relieved. Loki should have been banished long ago for his crimes. He is not worthy of a second chance. He is not even Thor's real brother, yet they treat him as royalty. It makes me sick. This is why I take it upon myself to dole out the proper punishment. Loki has never been good enough to walk the halls of Asgard."

"We understand, Lady Sif, we too wanted revenge on Loki, he failed us and had not yet paid his debt. Now we can only hope he will be destroyed by his own brother." The Chitauri snickered.

Natasha gasped. She had heard that name before. Lady Sif, she was one of Thor's friends. Definitely. And from what she could tell, this woman really hated Loki. So much she was willing to sneak the tesseract out to the Chitauri so they could further Loki's punishment.

She stumbled backwards, thinking she needed to find Thor right away before he did anything rash. She had to save Loki from his brother, as well as from himself.

She knew that after that whole incident, Loki would be headed down that same self-destructive path as before. He needed her and she had let him down. If only she knew where he was!

She ran hard and fast. She burst through the doors and immediately caught sight of Thor. He was about to return to Asgard to tell Odin of everything that had passed. He was about to tell Odin that Loki had escaped and betrayed them all.

She gritted her teeth in anger at herself. If only she had been more open and honest with everyone. She knew they would be more inclined to believe and trust Loki if they knew that she had. If everyone knew their relationship, maybe they would be better able to see the change that had come about in Loki.

She wished she could turn back time and stand beside Loki while he begged her with his eyes to believe him. She wished she had just told Thor of their relationship, of their connection, in hopes that in that moment, there would have been no –or at least less–doubt that Loki was being set up. Thor was always so hopeful for his brother. She wondered if telling Thor her feelings for Loki, and his for her, would have opened everyone's eyes to his true ability to change, and want for more than just power or destruction, but for acceptance.

She continued to run, barely catching Thor in time. She smacked right into his back and fell on her butt, panting. He looked down at her alarmed.

"Are you alright Natasha?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." She reassured him, "Thor, you need to know something about me and Loki. More importantly, I have to tell you what I just heard. Please, listen to what I have to say before you go back to Asgard."

Thor looked absolutely puzzled.

"What on Earth are you talking about? What has happened?" He was anxious to hear what she had to say about his brother.

"Just now, as I was passing through the hall, I heard people talking. The Chitauri—" A massive explosion went off behind them. Natasha felt her body flying through the air before she felt any pain.

She could hear Thor yelling. It all felt so surreal. She felt as if she was floating, and then everything was silent. Her vision went black. Everything was dark for a few moments, and she thought she might be dead.

Then suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her head. A bright light pierced through the darkness. She heard someone's voice faintly in the distance.

"Nat! Nat! Wake up!" Natasha groaned. Her head was throbbing. She opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was blurred at first, but then Steve's face came into focus.

"How long was I out?" She slurred a bit, still unable to really focus.

Wait, was she having déjà vu? She shot up. She realized she was lying in bed in the recovery wing of the base.

"You were out for the entire attack Nat. We were afraid you would never wake up. Don't worry, everyone is fine. And the Chitauri didn't manage to get Loki, but we are sure they will be back."

She took a moment to process this. "Steve, how many times have the Chitauri attacked?" She asked anxiously.

"This is the first Nat, you don't remember? Maybe we should have someone check you out…"

"No, no, it's ok. Just tell me we did the new obstacle course together. Tell me that."

"I'm afraid not, no one has even been allowed to use it yet. Natasha, what's going on? Are you alright?" Steve said, becoming noticeably concerned.

She ignored him, "And Director Fury, is he alive?"

"Of course he is! Want me to go get him? You are really freaking me out now. I think you are having some sort of mental breakdown." Steve replied, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead as if to check for a fever.

Holy shit. Had that all been just a dream? Did she seriously just imagine all of those things that happened, all of those feelings? She felt relief at the thought simultaneous with heartache. Then suddenly she realized the significance of it all. She knew in that moment it had not been merely a dream, but a premonition. She had seen what was to become of Loki, and she knew he needed her, and she needed him.

Natasha knew what she had to do.

"Steve, take me to Loki's room."

**A/N: **_As you all know this is fiction. I am sure Lady Sif is really a nice lady :P. I just wanted to make her hate for Loki in this story more intense than in the original story. _

_Thank you so much for all your reviews and I hope you are enjoying the story. _


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